be the change - tread the path

I’ve been holding back continuing this conversation until I received a Sign of some kind - but last night I got it.

I woke up in the small hours and as my eyes slowly opened, through a gap in the curtains, I was looking straight at a full moon shining incredibly bright. I’ve a lot going on in my life but my first thoughts were about ‘getting on with this article’. I took the opportunity to send out a wish for ‘Prosperity for my family’ with a quick clarification of ‘ Health, Wealth and Happiness’ and then snuggled back under the covers and drifted back off to the Astral Planes.

Do you find yourself doing this when you send out a request or affirmation? ‘Errr..And can you make sure it’s to no-ones detriment’ is usually a common one of mine :-).

First up in the continuing conversation which has now threaded through two posts ‘ Where are the Messages, Teachers and Guides?’ and the inspirationally named ‘ Where are the Messages, Teachers and Guides? - Part Two’ is a very welcome return from Nneka @ BalancedLifeCenter.com.

Damian, thank you for saying the thing about “easy”. I am urged (actually coached) by a fellow blogger who tells me to write useful step by step posts. I was just thinking, I don’t have steps for practicing spirituality. You just do it. But now I see that I take it for granted.

The truth is I struggle to find my way back so many times because there are no “easy” directions. I forget all the time the very first step: BE STILL.

After that, it’s easy

So many established practitioners take what they do for granted but so do naturally ‘gifted’ artists. Connecting with Spirit is an art in itself and what I’m determining with your very valuable help is my basic toolset for practicing this Art.

I’ll start of with Meditation as this is one of my most frustrating ‘tools’ that I’ve been learning. I understand the basics but there are questions that most introductions fail to address. When I drift is there a specific direction that is best to drift towards? Do you sink into yourself or ‘float’ just behind your eyelids?

One of the best pieces of advice I received from a friend was in regards of Visualization - another area or tool which I have difficulty ‘getting’. The advice was to close my eyes and see myself walking from my chair to my bedroom - something I do every night when it is time to turn in for the night. So what other great tips have you guys got?  

Next up is a heart-warming inclusion from my very good friend K-L Masina who is well on her way to becoming one of the most accomplished writers in the Spiritual Blogging Community with her ‘K-L Masina - Be Conscious Now’ site.

This is an incredibly powerful post, it draws together the entire community, and shows how each and every one of us has a different perspective that adds to the whole.

No one said the same thing twice, no one is extraneous. We are ALL needed, we ALL have our own unique role to play in the human drama.

This is one of the best articles I’ve read all week. You are doing wonderfully.

K-L has been an incredible source of support and inspiration and many emails pass between us behind the scenes. She honored (and humbled) me greatly recently by penning an amazing review of this site and I’m glad to say that I’ve already put in place many of the recommendations from that review - You Rock K-L
Her comment sums up the reasoning which has guided me to continue this conversation. The input from old friends and new inspirers to each of these articles just opens up the whole subject which I know is helping me overcome my own blockages and pass on the wisdom to many others who are in the ’same place.

I then received this beautiful endorsement from my new friend Patricia @  ‘Spiritual Journey of a Lightworker’

Damian, I am in awe of your writing abilities. Your first article obviously touched off a spark in each of us. You then took all of those individual comments and wove them into such a thing of beauty that the finished product brought tears to my eyes.

What you did was unite all of our stories into one story. We are all truly united by our spiritual journey. Thank you friend for creating a thing of such beauty out of ordinary words. I am sending all of my spiritual friends and a few who don’t think they are spiritual to your site to read this.

When my 2 kids were old enough to teach them to tie their shoes, I bought shoes with velcro. They were much older when I finally taught them to tie their shoes. It is not as easy a process as it sounds. I know I was a chicken to use velcro. I remember struggling to learn to tie my own shoes. My mom wasn’t able to teach me. An older cousin did.

Patricia - I’m in awe of everyone’s writing each and every day, yours especially - you weave your words with such passion and honesty and add as much to other peoples sites as you do to your own - Thank you for that.

There is an excellent point made here ‘ unite all of our stories into one story’. Blogging is much more than a scattering of individual sites acting as virtual soap-boxes - we are all part of an amazing evolution that unravels through a myriad of sites. Spend a day following the links from one site to another and it won’t be long before you come across comments and contributions from many of the same people - This is the Community and I’m proud to be a companion on all of your journeys as you all are to me! 

Next up was this magical message from Lola (no link included - do you have a site?).  

Where are the messages, teachers and guides?

Ah, dear Damian, there is one sitting with his fingers on your keyboard, gazing with his eyes into your monitor, using his heart to link responses from Spirit like a pencil on a connect-the-dot puzzle.

That’s exactly what I’m doing - looking for the signs that I know are everywhere but refining the process of seeing them and understanding them by working through each word in each message. I’m a well skilled Tarot Reader and I’ve been treating each message and comment as a spread of cards - looking for the patterns, what is and isn’t there, divining balance and direction.

Then came an excellent confession from Steve @ RaiseConsciousChildren.com.

Here it comes… i was trying to hold this back for some reason… i’m going through this same situation right now. i work in such an UNCONSCIOUS environment. i have put up with it for years chalking it up to spiritual practice; even before i knew what spiritual practice was… plus the money is good and with 3 kids this is something that has to be considered.

I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE THOUGH. i have moved pass needing it as practice. it is now holding me back. but i haven’t left yet. i have other means of income, albeit not as secure as a solid paycheck once a week, but the universe can’t let me down… can it?

why is it soooooo much easier to give advice than use it!?

to be honest the only reason i’m staying is because everyone else in my inner circle would feel pressure if i suddenly left my job.

here is the “advice” i first wrote to Damian.

“are you worried others may not be ready for your next move?”

can you guess who that was REALLY intended for?

This brought a huge smile to my face - not because of the tremendous ‘feeling’ that Steve’s words contained but because this is a wonderful example of the ‘Duh!’ moments that I keep hitting. In many ways we act as each others Spiritual Mirrors, bouncing our own words and advice right back at us. When this happens it is SO easy to bring down the barriers and deny it doesn’t relate to you - much too personal. But once you get beyond this and embrace these moments they can be the most enlightening instances of self-realization.

Steve - if it’s any consolation I’m there too! Except in my case I’ve worked in the same place for Sixteen years and the money isn’t that great either. I too wish I had the trust and faith to just walk away and throw myself on the mercy of the Universe but as you say - It’s not myself I have any fears for, it’s my family who depend on me.

Further detail, clarification and depth to the preceding comment was added by Patricia.

Steve, I have found out more and more often in my life that the advice I give to others is always about me. Why wouldn’t that be true? All of the information that we get comes down through our filters. We are our own student.

I always look at the words that I say to others because I know that they are also for me. That is why we are all getting so much out of Damien’s words and each comment that has been written. None of us is writing just for the other person.

This entire message from Damien and from us has been for everyone that has participated. We can all add the words, “for me especially.” to the end of what we think we are telling others.

We are all God speaking through us.

Thank you Patricia for once again clarifying the process that we as a group are all going through together - not because we have too but because we WANT too. The energy we are gathering in this conversation is allowing us all to face our next steps and my thoughts are with you all in the hope of expanding your understanding and receiving healing.

A treat for you all now as this previously unseen message was sent via the sites Contact Form from Vitor.

I’m really glad I was able to help you, and it is always good for me to see that I am actually able to communicate my thoughts in an easy to understand way. I currently don’t own a blog, but one is in the works (I want to have a couple of articles ready before I launch). However, my blog will mainly be written in Spanish.

I’d love to post as a guest author sometimes, just let me know around when you plan to publish it, so I can get to work! This whole writing thing is still somewhat new to me and I have a day job I’ll be keeping for the moment, so give me a little time.

Regarding your question about what way my guides speak to me, it is actually very simple.thoughts just pop into my head, related to what I’m seeing and/or thinking about, but it doesn’t feel like they’re coming from me, but from some other place, while at the same time being very familiar. It feels like it could have come from me, but the timing and intensity of it just makes it stand out. It’s like someone was establishing a link between two unrelated thoughts in my mind, and suddenly the solution to some block I had been working on becomes glaringly obvious.

An example:
The last couple of weeks I was watching in horror as I was slipping back into my old habits, despite clearly knowing that they aren’t good for me. Somehow, whenever the opportunity to execute an old habit came up, I felt the urge to give in to it. My main problem these days has been constant failure to actually set the things I want to do into motion. I keep wasting time on things I don’t even like to do, just because I’m used to doing them.

Then a couple of days ago, while I was reading your blog post, I thought to myself “My god, what a ridiculous problem. Damian just needs to realize that there is no difference between a spiritual moment and a regular one, that each moment is as important as every other.

Totally obvious.

It even says so in the name of his own blog: not make a change or think of a change…BE the change!” But while typing out my answer, suddenly the following questions popped into my mind: “If it’s so easy, then why don’t you apply it to your life? Why do you keep slipping in little things all the time? Why did you keep doing things that clearly go against what you believe? Why are you not living the life you want to live? Why are you unhappy?”

Duh! In hindsight I should have noted that my slowly returning depression was a clear sign that I was not living my own values, that I spent too much energy thinking about how to change my life and actually implementing those changes was barely an afterthought for me. Of course it was not going to work! If I want to generate lasting change, I have to be willing to live that change with every breath I take.

As I said, totally obvious (at least in hindsight!)

I’d like to extend a special vote of thanks to Vitor for allowing us an insight into the struggles he is currently facing as guidance for us all. I look forward to being able to read the articles on his forthcoming blog and know that he has a lot to offer to the Spiritual Blogging Community.

The final paragraph holds the crux for me - it’s not much of a step to move from thinking to doing - Take that Step and the rest will unfold. It’s OK to send out all these affirmations and divine orders but you have to make the effort to meet the Universe some way or it simply won’t be able to create the circumstances and connections needed to be able to deliver.

And next up came  a very leading input from Debs @ ‘Deb_Inside’ that she knows I won’t be able to resist - Nice one Hon! 

We’ve known one another for a short few months now, and I am not so certain how long you have been on the hunt to connect with your guides?
Months or years……

Maybe you can create a 1, 2, 3 and so on list of the lessons that NOT hearing directly from them is bringing you.

Number 1 would HAVE to be patience.

There is no need to share this list back to everyone, only if you so choose to do that. What I mean is that I am not asking you to tell me what you are learning, but to only be aware of this yourself.

I love the community that comes together when one of us is in need. It’s like taking a weekend to go camping and having everyone sit around the camp fire and sharing.

Damian don’t forget to be majorly thankful for the gifts you DO have in your life. The ability to connect in spirit for others is huge. !!!

Sending the Light and Love you always extend to others…. right back at ya.

Here’s my list (for now) - what are your top three lessons right now?;

1. Patience - there you go (LOL). As an Aries, impetuous child of the Zodiac, patience isn’t one of my strong points and Yes you are spot on that this is a lesson I need(ed) to learn.
2. Creativity - while waiting for guidance I’ve been working on new projects and stretching my creative talents as it’s my perception that tapping into anything artistic is reaching out to the Divine. I’ve been giving my garden a much needed overhaul and have begun planning my extensive Herb Garden, I’m in the middle of painting murals on the children’s bedroom walls and last but not least I’ve been working on my writing.
3. Developing my personal Relationships - my energies have been depleted looking after myself and my family. I’m still off work with Stress waiting for some movement in negotiations between my Union Rep and my Employer (I’m not going to go into this here for obvious reasons). My two year old son has been off from Nursery suffering from a bad case of Impetigo and the other kids are off school for the Summer Holidays.

And I am majorly thankful for that I am and that I hold dear - I’ve seriously struggled for everything I have and with that has come great gratitude. In the long run things are much easier to lose than gain and I value everyone and everything that has graced my life.

And finally a contribution from a new contributor, and knowledgable Author/Practitioner, to our conversation Kris @ ‘BeyondZen’

Damian, when I first read your post I wanted to chime in with “I feel ya” but it’s been great to see the reactions and how our community has flocked to you.

Thank you for being real, thank you for living you frustration and doubt; we all feel it.

You my friend, you have a great purpose.

I couldn’t agree more with the first part of your comment  - the feedback has been amazing and thank you for dropping by and joining in.

As for being real and living my frustration and doubt, I’m not going to let it stop me moving forward - although in the last week I have come really close to suspending my quest, closing the site and giving up on the whole thing but there’s a constant nagging that just won’t let go. If only I could tune into that nagging a little clearer, maybe that’s where they are all hiding.

I also thank you for the final affirmation - if anyone has any idea what it is it’d be a great help - contact me
Love, Light and Healing to you all - I can’t wait for the next series of comments.

Damian